"Everyone! Hello!"
The wild boy, Son Goku, came sprinting over, turning into a blur as he crashed into Yamiru, latching onto his face.
"Hi~ everyone~"
Bulma landed her flying motorbike, pressed a button to retract it into a capsule with a boom, and took off her windproof sunglasses. Her purple ponytail bounced behind her as she greeted everyone at the registration area with a bright smile.
"You're like a face-hugger," Yamiru said helplessly.
Bulma hooked her sunglasses onto her shirt, put her hands on her slim waist, and laughed. "It's been so long, but Goku hasn't grown up at all!"
"Alright, we get it, you're a grown woman now," Tights gestured at her own height. "It feels like just a short while ago, but you're already as tall as me."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Bulma playfully wagged her finger. "To really surprise you and brother-in-law, I've been holding back from watching any of his matches in person. So? What do you think?" She draped an arm over Tights' shoulder and raised an eyebrow at Yamiru, who still had Goku clinging to his face.
"Yes, yes, we get it—you're a stunning beauty now," Yamiru said with a typical brother-in-law smile.
Bulma smirked and hummed amusingly. Ever since these two got married, even their way of talking had become similar.
Brother-in-law?
For Gine, Bardock, and their family, this didn't mean much, but Krillin, Tien, Chiaotzu, Yamcha, Puar, and Master Roshi all immediately understood the implications.
"Married? But you're still so young," Yamcha said in surprise. He had assumed they were just dating.
Tights displayed the ring on her finger, and Yamiru pulled out the necklace she had given him from under his collar.
Master Roshi and the others offered their congratulations.
"Alright, that's enough out of you."
Yamiru grabbed Goku by the monkey tail to pull him off, but even when he squeezed tightly, Goku showed no signs of weakness.
Goku finally let go, hopping down with a grin. "I've been training seriously! My tail isn't a weak spot anymore!"
Hearing this, Raditz was visibly shaken. He hadn't expected Kakarot, that weakling, to have overcome his tail's weakness.
"Your little brother isn't bad either," Gine bent down and smiled at Raditz. "Looks like you're the one falling behind in this area."
Raditz scoffed and turned his head away.
"Only two minutes left before registration closes!" The head monk at the registration booth cupped his hands around his mouth to make the announcement.
Yamiru placed his hand on Goku's head. "Go ahead, you're the last one left."
Goku's expression turned serious. Though he still wore a smile, it was the calm, focused grin of someone eager for a challenge.
"This time, it'll be hard for you to beat me, Yamiru," Goku said.
"Yeah, I know," Yamiru replied simply.
Oh?
Master Roshi's sunglasses reflected Yamiru's expression. He thought to himself, He's even more different than when Gohan first found him… Gohan really picked a strong one.
As Goku went to register, Bulma finally noticed Yamcha. "Huh? Who's this guy?"
"Eep!"
Yamcha instantly reacted like a startled cat, his heart racing and blood pressure skyrocketing.
Puar knew this was bad. Earlier, just glancing at those two beautiful sisters had made Yamcha unsteady on his feet, and now he was about to directly interact with them? No way he could handle it—he might just faint on the spot!
The little blue cat quickly flew in front of Yamcha, blocking his line of sight from Bulma. Then, with a flick of its tail—smack!—it slapped Yamcha across the face.
"Ah!"
Yamcha snapped out of it instantly. Still shaken, he whispered, "Puar, did I almost—?!"
Puar nodded gravely, tugging at Yamcha's cheeks. "Yamcha, snap out of it! This is the World Martial Arts Tournament! Focus, the tournament is about to start!"
"Thanks, Puar. I get it now," Yamcha exhaled and avoided looking at Bulma and her sister altogether.
"Weirdo…" Bulma muttered. "Handsome, but a weirdo."
Goku returned from signing up, looking tattered like a little wild child. Gine, noticing his ragged state, pulled out a fresh martial arts uniform she had prepared.
"Goku, change into this."
"Oh." Goku, ever straightforward, started pulling down his pants right then and there… only for Yamiru to facepalm and drag him into the nearby bushes.
So this is the Son Goku…? Krillin wiped sweat from his forehead. Was he really the young genius that Tien Shinhan and Master Roshi spoke so highly of?
Once changed, Goku returned, energetically swinging his arms. "Alright! Time for the preliminaries!"
"Wait, Goku. There's something I need to tell you," Yamiru called out.
"Hm?" Goku turned back.
---
"Grandpa passed away…?"
After listening to Yamiru, Goku muttered, his tail drooping to the ground.
"My dad always says," a timid little girl, Chi-Chi, suddenly spoke up, "kind people never truly die. If Goku's grandpa was such a good person, then he must have gone to the heavens."
Her innocent words struck a chord.
For people like Yamiru, Master Roshi, and Tien Shinhan—who had grown up on Earth and experienced so much—this moment was unexpectedly emotional.
"Huh?" Goku, however, looked puzzled. "So Grandpa turned into the Flying Nimbus?"
Tights and Bulma immediately burst into laughter.
Yamiru looked up at the sky.
Master Roshi and Tien Shinhan wiped sweat from their brows.
Yamcha was completely lost…
"Stop ruining the mood!" Krillin couldn't help but punch Goku. "You idiot! She means your grandpa went to heaven!"
Puar also sweated nervously. Had this little bald guy even met Goku before? How did they already feel like old friends?
Then Bardock, usually a man of few words, spoke up. "I asked that so-called Earth Kami. After Son Gohan passed, there's a high chance he was sent to heaven."
Earth's… what? Krillin and Tien Shinhan thought they misheard.
Gine considered for a moment and added, "If I become Earth's new guardian in the future, maybe I can arrange for Goku to meet Grandpa Gohan again."
But Goku, as carefree as ever, grinned and said, "It doesn't really matter! As long as Grandpa's okay."
He's dead! How is that 'okay'?! Krillin and Yamcha screamed internally.
---
"He really is worry-free, huh?"
Watching Goku and the others leave for the preliminaries, Bulma sighed.
"What, do you have a lot of worries, Miss Bulma?" Tights looped her arm through her sister's, then motioned to the others—Bardock, Gine, Master Roshi, and Chiaotzu. "Come on, let's go find a place to sit."
Bulma rolled her eyes and put on her sunglasses. "Ever heard of teenage girl problems? Worries are kinda our thing."
"Oh? Like what?"
"Where's my prince charming, for starters?"
"You actually have those kinds of dreams? I'm surprised."
"What's that supposed to mean?! A genius girl is still a girl! I can fantasize if I want to!"
"Hehehe… no, I just think this side of you is kind of cute."
The sisters walked off arm-in-arm, while the others followed behind. As for the ones in the preliminaries, there was nothing to worry about. Unless they ran into each other early, there was no way they wouldn't make it through.
Sure enough, after sitting in a café for a short while, they heard the outdoor broadcast announce that the quarterfinals had been decided. The audience started making their way to the main arena.
"Preliminaries are over. Goku's definitely off somewhere demanding food," Tights said with a laugh.
"This time, there's an extra Saiyan in the mix," Bulma quipped. "I wonder if the tournament's kitchen can even handle the appetites of those two brothers."
Bardock and the others arrived at the arena, where the blond announcer was introducing the quarterfinal matchups—
First Match: King Chappa vs. Tien Shinhan
Second Match: Krillin vs. Yamiru
Third Match: Son Goku vs. Raditz
Fourth Match: Yamcha vs. Chi-Chi